Oscillator attachment for plating tank



May 22, 1956 1 J. GUILLET-re:

. oscILLAToR ATTACHMENT FOR PLATIN@ TANK Filed Nov. 1, 1952 fnv@ 73507' United States Patent O OSCILLATOR ATTACHMENT FOR PLATINGV TANK Louis J.. Guillette, Attleboro, Mass.

Application November I, 1952', Serial No. 318,295

8` Claims. (Cl. 2S9--11'2) This invention relates to plating tanks of the kind customarily employed for plating jewelry and has for its principal objects to provide an attachment for effecting oscillation of the agitator bars, which will be of simple durable construction, may be installed without substantial redesign of the existing tank construction, which will take up a very little space, which will be adaptable to tanks of different size and agitator bars of different spacing, which will hold the agitator bars in rigid parallel relation and which will be economical in operation.

As herein illustrated the attachment is applied to a tank in which the ends of the agitator bars extend from one wall of the tank and comprises a rigid driver bar and a pair of coupling members fastening the ends of the agitator bars to the driver bar, the coupling members being adjustable longitudinally of the driver bar to change their spacing in accordance with the spacing of the agitator bars. Preferably, the driver bar has a longitudinal slot through it and the couplings are mounted on the bar and made fast thereto by threaded studs extending through the slot which have nuts on their lower ends for making them fast to the bar. A spacer bar is placed transversely of the agitator bars between the couplings and is made fast at its ends thereto, forming with the spacer bars a rigid frame in which the agitator bars constitute the sides and the spacer bar the end and wherein the corners rigidly resist deviation of the agitator bars from parallel relation, The frame is oscill'ated by an eccentric operably connected to the driver bar, the eccentric in turn being driven by a motor attached to the tank.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the tank with the oscillator mechanism attached thereto; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation at one end of the tank showing the oscillator mechanism attached thereto.

Referring to the figures, the plating tank 10 is of substantially rectangular shape having a bottom 12, side walls 14 and ends 16. Legs may be secured to the bottom at the four corners of the tank to hold it raised from the floor. Anodes 18 are mounted in the tank so as to extend longitudinally thereof and between the anodes are mounted agitator bars 20, along which are suspended one or more members 21 in the form of hangers, brackets or the like, which hang downwardly from the agitator bars into the fluid and on which may be placed articles to be plated. The purpose of the agitator bars is to produce a corresponding agitation or oscillation of the hangers and hence to keep the plating fluid stirred up and of uniform density during plating operation. The agitator bars 2i) are for this purpose mounted for reciprocation in bearing blocks 22 fastened to the upper edge of one end of the tank, the bearing blocks being provided with anti-friction roller bearing elements 24 with which the bars have rolling contact. The outer extremities of the bars are fastened by couplings 26 to a transversely extending rigid driver bar 28 which has in it a longitudinal slot 30. The driver bar 28 consists of spaced parallel plates 32 between 2,746,732 Patented May 22, 1956 ICC the ends of which are placed spacer blocks 34, the plates being fastened by bolts 36 passing through. the plates and spacer blocks. The coupling members 26 consist of Ts 38 having threaded openings 40 and 42 at the ends of the head and a threaded opening 44 at the base of its foot. The extremities of the agitator bars are threaded so as to be screwed into the threaded openings 40 of the Ts. Studs 45 are threaded into the openings 44 and extend downwardly therefrom through the slot 30 in the driver bar 28 and have on their lower ends nuts 43 by which they are made fast to the driver bar. As thus connected to the bar they may be adjusted longitudinally thereof in the slot 30 and anchored at any predetermined spacing on the bar so as to provide for different spacings in accordance with the size of the tank and the spacing of the agitator bars of that particular tank. Elbows are threaded into the openings 42 at the opposite ends of the Ts and between the elbows there is placed transversely of the agitator bars a spacer bar 52, the latter having right and lefthand threads on it for engagement with the threaded openings of the elbows and being cut to proper length for the particular spacing of the agitator bars. The spacer bar 52 locks the couplings 26 at the proper spacing independently of the studs and nuts, fastening the couplings to the bar 2S and furthermore forms with the agitator bars a rigid substantially rectangular frame wherein the agitator bars 20 form the sides and the spacer bar S2 an end, and wherein the corners of the frame are rigid and resist deviation of the agitator bars from their parallel relation during oscillation without need for tying the opposite ends of the agitator bars together.

To effect reciprocation or oscillation of the agitator bars a block 54- is placed in the slot 30. One end of a link 56 is pivotally attached to the block and its other end is pivotally connected to anl eccentric 58 fast to the upper end of a shaft 60 extending fromv a gear reduction unit 62. The gear reduction unit is driven by a pulley 64 over which is entrained a belt 66, the lower part of which passes about a pulley 68 fast to the shaft of a motor M. The motor M and gear reduction unit 62 are bolted to a block '70 fastened to the end of the tank.

As thus constructed when the motor is started the eccentric 58 will be rotated and effect reciprocation of the link S6 and hence of the roller 54. Reciprocation of the block 54 will in turn effect a reciprocation of the bar 28 perpendicular to the end of the tank and thus in turn will transmit a corresponding reciprocation of the agitator bars lengthwise of the tank. It is evident that the arnplitude of reciprocation may be easily changed to suit specific conditions of the plating fluid by changing the size of the eccentric and that similarly the rate of reciprocation may be modified by employing a different gear reduction unit.

The component parts of the device are for the most part conventional plumbing fittings which may readily be obtained plus sheet or bar material stock and a conventional gear reduction unit and motor. For installation it is only necessary to thread the ends of the agitator bars so that they may be screwed into the T, couplings, and then attach the motor and gear reduction unit to the end of the tank in such position that the link and block 54 carried thereby will be situated at a level to engage the slot 30.

The foregoing attachment is of very simple construction, occupies but a very small space at the end of the tank, is of durable construction not adversely affected by the plating solutions, may be easily adjusted to provide for different widths of tanks and different spacing of agitator bars and provides a rigid alignment of the agitator bars which prevents their deviation from parallel relation without any joining of their further ends as has been customarily required in apparatus of this kind.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modiiications and equivalents which fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a plating tank provided with bearings, horizontal agitator bars movable therein and suspension members hanging from the bars downwardly into the tank for supporting articles to be plated; an attachment comprising a rigid drive bar located externally of the tank, means on the bar to which the ends of the agitator bars are made fast, said means being adjustable lengthwise of the drive bar to change their relative spacing and their position on the drive bar, means for fixing the spacing of the last-named means both with respect to each other and the drive bar, and means operably connected to the rigid bar for effecting oscillation thereof.

2. For use with a plating tank provided with bearings and horizontally arranged agitator bars with their ends projecting through the bearings at the ends of the tank,

said bars being adapted to carry in suspension hangers which extend downwardly into the tank for supporting articles to be plated; an attachment comprising a rigid drive bar, means rigidly fastening the projecting ends of the agitator bars to the drive bar, said means being adjustable lengthwise of the bar to change their relative spacing and their position on the drive bar, an eccentric member operably connected to the drive bar for effecting oscillation thereof, perpendicular to the wall of the tank, and a motor for effecting rotation of the eccentric.

3. For use with a plating tank provided with bearings and horizontally arranged agitator bars with their ends projecting through the bearings at the ends of the tank, said bars being adapted to carry in suspension hanger brackets which extend downwardly into the tank for supporting articles to be plated; an attachment comprising a rigid drive bar having a longitudinal slot therein, means rigidly fastening the projecting ends of the agitator bars to the drive bar, said means being adjustable lengthwise of the bar to change their spacing and their position on the drive bar, a link, a block pivotally attached to one end thereof, said block being engaged within the slot, an eccentric operably connected to the opposite end of the link and means for effecting rotation of the eccentric including a speed reduction unit and motor.

4. An attachment for a plating tank according to claim 2 wherein the fastening means constitute couplings having internally threaded sockets for receiving the ends of the agitator bars, the driver bar has a longitudinal slot therein, and the couplings have threaded studs fast thereto which extend through the slot in the driver bar and have at their lower ends nuts for releasably locking thc couplings to the bar at a predetermined spacing.

5. An attachment for a plating tank according to claim 4 wherein a spacer member is made fast to the couplings to maintain their spacing independently of the studs and nuts fastening them to the bar.

6. An attachment for a plating tank according to claim 4 wherein the couplings have opposed threaded openings therein for reception of the ends of a rigid spacer bar of predetermined length, the length of said spacer bar being determined by the spacing of the agitator bars.

7. An attachment for a plating tank according to claim 4 wherein a rigid spacer bar is placed transversely of the agitator' bars and made fast to the couplings, forming with the agitator bars a rigid frame of which the agitator bars are a side and the spacer bar an end and wherein the corners of the frame rigidly resist deviation of the agitator bars from parallel relation.

8. An attachment for a plating tank according to claim 4 wherein a rigid spacer bar is placed transversely of the agitator bars and made fast to the couplings, forming with the agitator bars a substantially rectangular rigid frame closed at one end and open at its opposite end, wherein the agitator bars form two sides of the frame and the spacer bar the closed end thereof and wherein the corners formed by the means connecting the agitator bars to the spacer bar rigidly resist deviation of the agitator bars from parallel relation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 37,469 Wilcox Jan. 20, 1863 248,521 Spence Oct. 18, 1881 772,797 Gautier Oct. 18, 1904 1,268,592 McLaughlin et al June 4, 1918 1,763,448 Ties June 10, 1930 2,024,482 Sinks Dec. 17, 1935 2,514,530 Winborn July 11, 1950 

